He reiterated anew that realigning the savings was only merited, contrary to the decision of the Supreme Court.

"I think it will be prudent for the executive branch to move the funds from a slow-moving project, declare them as savings, and then shift it to a fast-moving project. That’s where the difference in definition of savings came about,” he said.

Even the SC admitted to the positive effects of the DAP, he said.

Lacierda expects due process in the case of Abad before the Ombudsman.

“We expect the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct its constitutional duty. The process that they have done in any investigation they did, in any evaluation, in any process that they have internally -- we expect them to apply it equally to any person that has been charged with a crime,” he said.

He said Abad has chosen to keep mum for now as he is working “and is very busy” on the 2015 national budget.

“We have no information kung kailan niya planong lumabas. May we beg your indulgence, he is in the midst of budget preparation. So he has been meeting with several Cabinet agencies and he has been working quietly to make sure that we are able to submit and present to the President the National Expenditures Program,” he said.